The present disclosure relates to juvenile vehicle seats, and particularly to a base for use with juvenile vehicle seats. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system for anchoring the base in a fixed position on a vehicle seat.
Juvenile vehicle seats are used to transport young children in automobiles or other vehicles. These seats are often adapted to set on a juvenile-seat base which rests on a vehicle seat. Seats for infants are adapted to set on a vehicle seat and face in a rearward direction, while seats for older children are adapted to set on a vehicle seat and face in a forward direction. Convertible vehicle seats are adapted to be used in either rearwardly facing or forwardly facing directions. Similarly, the bases for use with the juvenile seats may be adapted to be used in the rearwardly facing direction only, the forwardly facing direction only, or in both the rearwardly and forwardly facing directions.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,000,753 and 5,538,322 disclose apparatus for retaining a child car seat on a vehicle seat, which patents are hereby incorporated by reference herein. See also U.S. applications Ser. Nos. 09/614,078 and 09/751,107 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,682, which disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,318,799, 6,318,799, 6,139,101, 6,042,182 and 5,567,008 disclose seat bases for use with juvenile vehicle seats.
In accordance with the present disclosure, a seat mount is provided for use with a vehicle passenger seat and anchor mounts provided in or near the vehicle seat. The seat mount is adapted to couple to a juvenile seat and includes a base and a vehicle anchor system coupled to the base and adapted to be coupled to the anchor mounts. The vehicle anchor system is movable between an anchored position to anchor the base in a rearwardly facing position on the passenger seat and a stowed position within a storage compartment of the base. The vehicle anchor system includes an anchor belt adapted to be coupled to the anchor mounts and an anchor belt leash that couples the anchor belt to the base. The base further includes a pair of openings for receiving a portion of the anchor belt when the base is in use in the rearwardly facing position and the vehicle anchor system is in the anchored position.
In some illustrative embodiments, the leash is coupled to a top surface of the base. In other illustrative embodiments, the leash is coupled to a bottom surface of the base. In such embodiments, the base includes an access slot and a portion of the leash is threaded through the access slot when the vehicle anchor system is in the anchored and stowed positions.
The anchor belt includes a strap having a central portion and opposite end portions. The anchor belt further has a pair of clasps or other suitable couplers, each of which is coupled to a respective end portion of the strap and each of which is adapted to be coupled to a respective anchor mount.
Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.